Folding camera



AL C. FESHER. FOLDING CAMERA.

. APPLICATION HLED MALI?. 1917A Y Y 1,308,985. Paten/@July 8,-1919.

s 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. C. FISHER.

FOLDING CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2. Isn,

Patented July 8, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.A

A. C. FISHER.

FOLDING CAMERA.

APPLICATIONHLED MAR. 12. 19u.

1,308,985. Patentedmys, 1919.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES: 2

Y 39 /m/E/vron 2 mgm @M25/wf ab Armar/Ens UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

AUSTIN CARL FISHER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

` FOLDING CAMERA..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ifatentea July s, 1919.

Application led March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,179.

accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon. n

My present invention relates to photography and is particularly though not cxclusively applicable to cameras of the folding type in lwhich is employed an arrangement for automatically projecting the front and lens to approximately its operative position when the camera is unfolded. The

improvements are directed toward providing such a front` when so projected with means for kaccurately focusing it, such means being so designed and arranged as to be best adapted to the peculiarities of the projecting mechanism. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure -1 is a side elevation of a folding camera constructed in accordance with and illustratingv one embodiment of my invention, the same being shown extended or in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrative ofthe manner. in which the camera is folded;

Fig. 3 is a front view;

Fig. 4 is a section through the camera` low-s removed, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1 and showing in plan the bed land vlens carriage; l

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary plan view of the front endof the =bed andl carriage with the cover plate for the latter removed,

the view being partly in section and the carriage being in folding position;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the carriage advanced, as in focusing;

Fig. 10 is a detail section of the focusing mechanisnn being a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 10T-10 of Fig. 5, and f Fig. 11 i-s an enlarged detail fragmentary view of the rear of the `carriage and front taken in section transversely of the bed, substantially on the line 11-11 of Fig. 7

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In the present embodiment, the camera comprises a bod 1 and a hinged bed 2 of the usual type t at is supported when extended by links 3 and when closed, actsas a door `or closure'for the front of the body in `which latter the front 4 and bellows 5 l may be housed as shown in Fig. 4. A spring catch 6 having an upwardly turned lockingn vide at the forward end of the bed a carriage plate 12 (Fig. 8) that has a limited movement longitudinally thereof to project, if desired, beyond its forward end, which carriage plate has slots 13 by means of which it is guided on headed pins 14 fixed in the bed. The sides of the carriage plate are turned upwardly into parallel [langes 15 while the lfront edge is formed into a hinge knuckle 16 coperating with the knuckle 17 on a cross piece 18 connecting the arms or links 19, of an integral yoke that is thus pivoted on the pintle 20 to the forward end of the carriage. The links 19 work on the outer sides of the flanges 15 and at the "forward ends of the latter are outwardly or The upper ends of the links 19 are pivoted at 23 to forwardly turned ears 24 on the sides of the front or lens board 4 and surrounding the pivots 23 are springs 25 bearing against studs 26 on the links and lens board, respectively, and tending to rotate the lens board so that its base will be urged forwardly. During such movement, the said base indicated at 27, passes between the flanges 15 until it abuts inwardly turned ears 28 thereon arranged near the rear ends of the iianges. When this engagement takes place, a vertically sliding catch or bolt 29 guided by means of pins 30 operating in a slot 31. in the front base 27 locks the latter to a rearward extension 32 of the carriage plate 12 by engaging in an aperture 83 in a depressed portion of said extension under the influence of a spring 34 (Fig. 11).

In the folded position of Fig. 4, the links 19 are folded rearwardly to a position against or substantially parallel with the bed 2 while the front 4 has been rotated forwardly on its pivotal connections 23 with the links to alsollie parallel with and against the bed. As the button 8 is pressed and the bed 2 released, it swings forwardly to its open position immediately. At the same time, the links 19 swing forwardly under the influence of their spring 22 until stopped by the abutments 21 in the rearwardly inclined positions shown in Fig. 1 which raises the front 4. As soon as the latter is carried up suiiciently far, it begins to rotate upon the pivots 23 under the influence of its own springs 25 until its base 27 comes up against the abutments 28 and it is locked by the bolt 29. The front is then in yan erect operative position on the carriage and it will be noted that inasmuch as it rests upon the rear end of the latter while the links 19 provide inclined braces at the front, a substantially triangular 'support for the lens of great rigidity is provided. To fold the camera, the bolt 29 is released by means of an operating portion 35 and the front.4 is grasped at the top and rotated forwardly and downwardly carrying the links '19 with it, as shown'in Fig. 2. During this movement, the base 27 of the front, in swinging rearwardly on two centers, engages a rearwardly inclined tongue 36 on the bed 2 and is guided thereby to its proper folded parallel relationship with the bed in which position the tongue also supports it while the parts are folded, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The

bed is then' closed against the body from the position of Fig. 2, as usual, whereat the parts remain confined in their folded positions as in Fig. 4.

The carriage plate 12 is, in the present instance, fitted with an overlying cover plate 37 held against it by two screws 38 but this is provided merely to give a nished appearance and conceal the working parts of the carriage plate. It is in place in Fig. 7 and removed in Figs. 8 and 9, as previously mentioned.

During' the operations heretofore described, the carriage plate 12 remains in its retracted position shown, for instance, in-

Figs. 7 and 8. After the front 4 has been extended to its operative position on the carriage, it may be necessary to move it forward or backward slightly to properly focus the lens. For this purpose, I secure to the bed 2 or, in the present instance, to a base plate 39 fastened thereon and that also carries the pins 14 and lateral flanges 40 for steadying the carriage in its movements, a short rack 41 offset to one side. Geared to this rack is a disk or rotary member 42 pivoted at 43 on the under side of the carriage plate and projecting beyond the front edge of the latter at which 'point it is provided with an upwardly projecting operating handle 44. It will be seen that by moving this handle to the left (Fig. 10) the disk will move the carriage plate forwardly as shown in Fig. 9 while a reverse movement carries it back to the retracted position of'Fig. 8, the said operating member being readily accessible and easily movedin a transverse direction across the front of the carriage plate.

Referring particularly to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I also utilize this disk 42 as a means for locking the bed to the body as in Fig. 4. For this purpose, I form in the disk near its forward edge when in the position of Fig. 7, an opening 45 and the lip 7 on the catch 6 engages in this opening as the camera is closed in the manner best shown in Fig. 6. The fact that this opening does not have a fixed position is of no consequence as the camera cannot be closed anyway un til the carriage 12 is retracted by rotating the disk to a position in which it Will engage with the catch.

I am claiming herein only the features of the focusing device as the folding front is a separate invention, but both inventions are described herein as the focusing mechavnism is particularly applicable to a folding front of this nature, as has been before mentioned.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a folding camera, the combination with a body and a hinged bed closing the front thereof, of a catch on the body, a front movable on the bed and a device movable relatively to the front to move it into focusing position and adapted to coperate with the catch to hold the bed closed.

2. In a folding camera, the combination with a body and a hinged bed closing the front thereof, of a catch on the body, a front movable on the bed, and rotary de vice for operating the front to focus 1t arranged on the bed forwardly of the front to the rack to move the carriage on the bed, and adapted to coperate with the cateh to said disk lbeing provided with an upstand- 10 hold the bed closed. ing operating portion arranged to swing 3. In a folding camera, the combination across the front of the carriage.

5 with a, body and a hinged bed closing the v AUSTIN CARL FISHER.

front thereof and provided with a rack, of a Witnesses: v lens carri-age movable on the bed and a ro- HELEN M. FRASER, tary disk on the underside thereof geared MARGARET DUIGNAN. 

